


demigods, monsters, and myths, oh my!

by MsFluorescent



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Percy Jackson Fusion, Everyone Is Gay, Fluff, I'm Bad At Titles, I'm Sorry, Jeon Jungkook is a Little Shit, Kim Seokjin | Jin Being a Mom, Kim Seokjin | Jin is So Done, Light Angst, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), Minor Percy Jackson Characters, Multi, OT7, Park Jimin Is a Sweetheart, Percy Jackson References, Polyamory, Sleepy Min Yoongi | Suga, Swearing, Terrible Humor, like always
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-23 15:22:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13192926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsFluorescent/pseuds/MsFluorescent
Summary: Or where Hoseok is super fed up with his dad, Seokjin is super fed up with his friends, Yoongi just wants to sleep goddammit, Jeongguk is a little shit™️ as always, Jimin is too pure for both worlds, nobody can understand Namjoon, and Taehyung is...well, Taehyung.





	1. son of a god?

**Author's Note:**

> hello beautiful people!
> 
> SO. I know I am still working on a story, and I promise I'll work on that, but I've always wanted to write a Percy Jackson AU with Bangtan and there's not nearly enough of it so wellll....here it is! I'll do my best to update, but between this and my other story, I can't guarantee anything too quickly.
> 
> And this one is a bit more complicated in plot than my other one so this will take a bit longer.
> 
> Once again, I am shit at summaries so bear with me. RATED S for shitty jokes and terrible humor. (I'm not funny, sorry.) Also, cursing. Lots of cursing.
> 
> I do not own the rights to Percy Jackson or any of Rick Riordan's characters, nor to Bangtan.
> 
> This is purely my idea so any similarities to other stories are pure coincidences.

Jung Hoseok was incredibly done with running. He didn’t even fucking understand why these weird ant things were on his tail. And even less why nobody he passed on the street was doing anything about it. It was literally a fucking ant, except it was a hundred times bigger.

He stopped inside an alleyway, leaning on the red brick wall, breathing heavily. He very much regretted wearing a button down today. He would have been perfectly happy to just collapse there and rest for a bit but alas, luck was not on his side.

The telltale sound, a mix between a growl and a hiss, made his hair stand on end. As much as his lungs protested, he really would not rather be some freak of nature’s next meal.

Quietly, he inched as fast as he could farther down the alleyway, turning a corner that cloaked him in darkness.

He really really hoped these things didn’t rely on their sense of smell. But with the way the creepy sound got closer, his chances weren’t looking too good. He held his breath, inching backwards gradually.

Nothing seemed to be working. The sound of unnatural breathing would not stop coming. A quick glance behind him showed that he was also at a dead end.

“Well this is fucking fantastic.” he hissed under his breath. He was gonna die here, all alone, in a dark and nasty alleyway, with no witnesses, nobody to mourn him.

What were you supposed to do before you died? For a brief second, he wondered if he should pray. Maybe he could have a place in whatever paradise awaited him?

As the creature got closer, he closed his eyes, hoping against hope for his death to at least not be painful. Suddenly, through the still, stiff air, he heard, “Hey!”

It was, single-handedly, the most beautiful sound he can swear he has ever heard.

The odd footsteps stopped and a heavy patter of feet, as if the creature was turning around, was heard going away from Hoseok. Directly right after came the jarring sound of someone banging metal together. “That’s right, come here!”

There was an aggravated hiss, and then quick movement in the opposite direction, much to Hoseok’s relief. Still, he did feel quite worried for whoever was out there.

_Should he help? It’s not like he could do anything though._

As it turned out, the person didn’t need much help after all because the altercation was over in a series of grunts and quick slashes. Still, Hoseok stayed in place for a bit, just to make sure it was all okay.

Thankfully, he didn’t seem to hear the unpleasant sound anymore so ever so slowly, he creeped out of his hiding place. What he saw was honestly quite astonishing.

There was a guy standing there, at the far corner of the alley, his silhouette seemingly normal enough. Except for the fact that he held what looked like a huge sword in his hand.

Under normal circumstances, he would have been quite a bit cautious walking towards a stranger with a sword. But these weren’t normal circumstances and the... _thing_ that had been chasing him was dead and as far as he knew, this guy had saved him.

Plus he needed answers and he was going to go off on a tangent and say this guy could maybe give him some.

So, walk forward he did. “So there was someone here! I found it interesting that there was a _myrmeke_ here in New York of all places. And in such a dark alley, no less.”

Hoseok had no idea as to what the guy was talking about. _What was a….murr-mi-key?_ As he got closer, the guy’s features came into detail and Hoseok couldn’t help the gasp that escaped him.

He was a fairly normal looking guy, a bit older than Hoseok, except for the fact that on top of his head of curls were two horns. In addition, he had actual, honest-to-goodness, goat legs.

He didn’t seem put off by Hoseok’s staring but did appear a bit surprised. “So you can see my legs?” Unsure of what that was supposed to mean, Hoseok looked up, trying to break out of his trance, before nodding slowly.

“So you must be….hm, that’s interesting. How old are you?”  
“16.”  
“Huh. You’re pretty old.”

Hoseok was properly offended. He wasn’t even in his third year of highschool yet, _thank you very much_. The guy seemed to notice this and immediately shook his head.

“That’s not what I mean. I mean...um...wait, I think it’s better if I don’t explain it to you. But I know someone who can. Here, come with me, it’s not that far.”

Hoseok squinted suspiciously. No matter how much the guy saved him, he wasn’t stupid enough to just go with any random stranger. “Why would I go with you? I don’t even know who you are.”

The guy stopped mid-step and faced Hoseok, head tilted to the side as if he hadn’t considered that. “Oh. Oh! You’re right! Sorry about that. My name is Grover Underwood, satyr and Lord of the Wild, appointed by the god Pan himself.”

Hoseok’s suspicious stare turned into one of confusion. “The...the _who_ now?”

“Oh.” Grover’s face mirrored his own confused expression. “Um, do you know anything about Greek mythology?”

Hoseok paused for a second and thought about it, realizing he didn’t know much at all. He was never really into mythology nor was he ever taught it in school. “Uh….not really? I know….uh...Zeus, was it?”

It could have been Hoseok’s imagination, but the satyr, or whatever he is, looked a bit exasperated at this point. “So, basically, you know next to nothing.”

At this, Hoseok smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.” Grover shook his head. “No, no, it’s okay. But I really am not the best at explaining things so I’ll just give you an abridged version. Who’s your legal parent?”

A pause. It was a rather odd question and Hoseok didn’t know if he could trust this guy but so far, he hadn’t really given him any reason not to. “My mom. But she died a few years ago. Never knew my dad, so I’ve just been kind of on my own.”

Grover nodded understandingly, as if this was somehow expected. Did Hoseok really look that pitiful? “Have you noticed any other...unusual things recently? Like more of these things?” He jabbed at the still figure of the ant creature.

“Uh,” Hoseok pondered the question. “Not necessarily. But...I have seen some odd things recently. Like, people’s faces morphing for a second when they looked at me. I just thought I was dreaming.”

“Hm. That’s interesting, I haven’t really heard that before. Well in any case, it would make some sort of sense if you are…..well, first off, as I said, I am a satyr, half-goat, half-man. I was appointed to become the lord of the wild by Pan, who used to hold domain over it. But my job used to be to bring kids like you to a safe haven.”  
“Safe haven? Why? And what do you mean kids like me?”  
“You see this _myrmeke_? This is only one of many monsters that will continue to come after you. Any monsters you may have heard in Greek mythology are all real. And if you are for sure what I think you are, the older you get, the worse it’ll get. And trust me, they can get much, _much_ worse.”

Hoseok was starting to get scared. He’d always been quite scared of a lot of things. (Though he’d walk through hell first before he admitted that.)

“S-so, what you’re telling me is I could be in danger? From- from monsters?!”  
“Yes. That’s why you have to come with me. It’s not safe here for you. Hurry, before they start to realize. Chiron will explain more.” With that, the satyr started walking forward again, leaving Hoseok scrambling to catch up.

“Wa-wait! Why is it not safe? Where are we going? Who’s they? And who’s Chiron?” He was panicking, he could feel it. And when he panicked, he tended to ramble. And right now questions were spilling out of his mouth as if unbidden.

Grover grabbed a hold of Hoseok’s shoulders. “Hey, hey, breathe. It’s alright. I got you now. You’re safe and once we get to where we’re going, you’ll be even more safe. I promise. Just...trust me, okay? I know nothing's making sense right now, but I promise it will. All of your questions will be answered.”

For someone who didn’t seem all that special -- (no offense intended) and, well, aside from the goat legs -- Grover’s words seemed to instantly calm Hoseok. He felt his breathing start to even out and his heart no longer felt like bursting out of his chest. Feeling significantly calmer, Hoseok looked up at his companion and softly smiled with a small nod.

That seemed enough for the satyr who nodded back firmly. “Good. Now, come on, we need to find a taxi.”

《 ¤ 》

Today was officially turning out to be the weirdest day Hoseok had ever encountered in all his sixteen years of living.

They had taken a taxi and the guy with him had told the driver to stop them on a hill. When Hoseok looked up the hill, there was….a dragon lying asleep at the bottom of a tree. A fucking _dragon_.

Hoseok didn’t really know what to think. He could only stare in awe, eyes alternating between the dragon, Grover, and the taxi driver who didn’t seem to notice the dragon at all.

Seriously, what was it with New Yorkers’ eyesight?

When the taxi drove away, Hoseok inched his way behind Grover as they walked slowly up the hill. “Don’t worry about Peleus.” The satyr spoke up, a slightly bemused tone to his voice.

“Wh-who?”  
“Peleus. The dragon. He guards this place and won’t hurt you.” As if on cue, the dragon raised its head as they neared the top of the hill, making Hoseok jump back slightly.

Fortunately for him, Peleus just regarded him for a few seconds before placing his head back down. It was at this time, though still reeling from having seen an actual dragon, Hoseok noticed the two, towering marble pillars across from each other.

There was writing at the top, in a language he couldn’t understand. At least, not for the first few seconds. Suddenly, the letters seemed to shift and he could almost miraculously understand them. “Camp Half-Blood?”

Grover smiled, before stepping through the two pillars which set off a multicolored ripple throughout what looked like a really big bubble of sorts. He gestured to Hoseok who, after a bit of hesitation, decided it was better than the world outside. He stepped in with ease, marveling at the holographic boundary.

“Welcome, to Camp Half-Blood.”

He looked around in awe; there were people, all around his age -- give or take -- milling around, all wearing the same orange shirts with the words _Camp Half-Blood_ written in black. Some turned his way when he walked in, but most everybody just kept on their way.

To his direct right was a rather large house, painted a faded sky blue, looming comfortably over the camp, a bronze weathervane with little eagles and wind chimes sat proudly atop. A little bit ahead and to his left, were a cluster of what looked like small houses, with seemingly no particular theme or order to them, all decorated in very different, very odd ways. 

Hoseok was so busy admiring everything around him that he hadn’t even noticed that Grover had left his side and was now trotting over with two other people in tow.

The first thing Hoseok noticed, not like it was hard to, was that one of the people with Grover was not... technically a person. Not a whole one anyway. His top half was human -- tanned and chiseled despite his rather older age -- but the bottom half was of a horse.

Hoseok knew it was rude to stare, yet he couldn’t help himself. It was just so fascinating. As the horse-man passed, all the campers greeted him in one way or another. Hoseok was so distracted with watching him that he almost forgot there was another person in the trio until they were right in front of him.

“Jung Hoseok, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Chiron.” Chiron’s voice was so friendly that all Hoseok’s worries dissipated. He bowed, somehow sensing that there was quite a bit of respect that was needed to be given. “Nice to meet you.”

“And this,” Chiron gestured to the man at his side. “is Mr. D.” Hoseok turned to said man and bowed as well, a bow which went acknowledged only by a brusque nod. “More demigod scum. Welcome.” His voice held no trace of mirth or joy, but given by the fact that Chiron only gave him a warning look, Hoseok decided it was normal and didn’t let it bother him.

Besides, despite his uninterested demeanor, there was something about the flickering purple fire in his eyes that told Hoseok he was not to be messed with.

Still, Chiron smiled at him sheepishly, as if in silent apology and Hoseok smiled back in reassurance. 

With that, Chiron then spoke up again. “Anyway, Hoseok, Grover tells me that you had some questions. Would you like to follow me? I’ll try to answer them as best as I can.”  
“Uh...oh, yeah, sure. That’d be great, thanks.”

With a final wave and a thank you to Grover, Hoseok followed Chiron into the big blue house, Mr. D having wandered off somewhere else, no longer needing to be there.

The inside of the house was surprisingly quite homey, with intricately woven rugs, soft, worn couches.

Chiron gestured for Hoseok to sit, so he did. “Do you want anything to drink?” As if by Chiron’s words, a glass appeared on the table next to Hoseok, startling him.  
“Um, water is fine.” Immediately, the glass started filling with water, Hoseok watching bug-eyed.

An amused smile sat on Chiron’s face. “So, Grover told me that you don’t know who your father is?” Hoseok nodded slowly, hands clutching the glass handle as he drank.  
“Well, that’s perfectly normal. I’m sure your godly father will claim you soon.”  
“Um, I’m sorry, claim me? What- what does that mean? And...my godly father? My mother said my father left her a long time ago, before I was even born.”

Chiron smiled, albeit a little sadly. “Have you heard of demigods, Hoseok?” He shook his head. “Demigods are people that are born of a god and a human. Half-god and half-mortal. This camp? This is a place for demigods, like you.”

Hoseok was beyond confused. _Him? A god?_ “I’m sorry Chiron, that makes no sense. How am I a god? I- wouldn’t I have powers...or, or something? And why do these...demigods have to come here?”

At his statement, Chiron chuckled, yet Hoseok didn’t feel as if he was being made fun of. “You probably do. As a demigod. It’s just that once you are claimed is when you can tap into your full power, usually a lesser version of your godly parent’s. As for why demigods come here, well,” his smile turned sad again. “It’s very difficult for demigods to live out in the mortal world. They’re simply too powerful and the aura that emits from them attracts any and all monsters. Grover saved you from one just a while ago, did he not?”

Hoseok nodded, being brought back to the day’s earlier events. Still….this was difficult to believe. I mean, he was...just him. Just plain, old Hoseok. People like him weren’t gods. But the seriousness on Chiron’s countenance led Hoseok to question everything he had ever known about the world.

“Well then...um...how do you get claimed?”  
“That depends on your parent. Usually, however, you’ll get a little symbol above your head, the symbol signifying your godly parent. It’s supposed to happen around 13 but sometimes they forget, what with all their kids running around, so don’t worry if you’re a bit later.”

_Ah_. So that’s what Grover meant. Suddenly, the odd assortment of buildings came to mind. “Is that what those buildings are for then? The gods?”

A nod. “There used to only be twelve, for the twelve major gods and goddesses. However, a while back, a hero made a deal with the gods to have cabins for even the minor gods and goddesses. That’s where the children of those particular gods stay.”

_Well, that was nice of that guy. Whoever he was_. Then, another question popped up into his head.

“Wait, so, where do I go? Since I’m not claimed yet?”  
“You will go to Cabin Eleven, it’s our overflow cabin, of sorts. We don’t have many in there anymore, what with the rule to claim children, but it’s still a nice place for those who may be a bit lost at first.” It seemed Chiron sensed Hoseok’s next question because he then said, “As for your things, they have already been sent here and are waiting for you in Cabin Eleven. Ah, and perfect timing!”

Before Hoseok can even question just how in the _hell_ they got his stuff, Chiron was waving someone over.

Hoseok turned around and came face to face with probably the most beautiful man (boy?) he had ever seen. Raven black hair, a stark contrast to his porcelain skin, perfectly curved brown eyes, a little kohl dabbed around the edges, and pink, plump lips greeted him. 

Hoseok didn’t know what to say. Actually, it was more like he _couldn’t_ say anything, like he had physically lost his ability to speak.

Thankfully, Chiron spoke for him. “Seokjin, this is our new camper, Hoseok.”

The beautiful boy named Seokjin smiled and stuck out his hand. “Hi, I’m Kim Seokjin. Nice to meet you.”

So he was Korean. “J-jung Hoseok. L-likewise.” Hoseok hated that he was stuttering but it’s not like it was his fault. He swore it was this guy’s doing, whatever he was.

Chiron smiled at the exchange before turning again to Seokjin. “Seokjin, could you please show Hoseok to Cabin Eleven and help him get a shirt as well?”

The boy in question smiled and nodded. “Sure, Chiron.” With a bow and a gesture to follow him, Seokjin disappeared out the door. Hastily, Hoseok jumped up and bowed to Chiron as well, mumbling his thanks before following Seokjin.

“Can I call you Hoseok-ah?” Seokjin asked, once they were out and on their way.  
“Uh, yeah, sure. What should I call you? Are you older than me?” Despite his embarrassment, Hoseok was glad he had someone to speak Korean to again. His native language definitely was more comfortable. 

Seokjin tilted his head. “I think so. I’m 17.”  
“Oh, then, can,” he cleared his throat. “Can I call you Seokjin-hyung?”

Another beautiful smile. “You can call me Jin-hyung, my friends call me that.”  
“O-okay. Jin-hyung.” Hoseok smiled a bit, glad to be able to make some friends, even if his world had (almost quite literally) just been turned upside down.

He had just thought to ask Seokjin who’s child he was when he was interrupted by a breeze so strong that everyone outside yelped in unison. Suddenly, there was a fire? or some sort of flash of light and when it disappeared, taking its place in the middle of the courtyard, right in front of Hoseok, was a chariot.

The courtyard fell silent. Standing next to the chariot, was an incredibly handsome guy, almost ethereally beautiful. With golden hair and an equally golden smile, he exuded power that had everyone in awe.

“Hello, everyone! I’m looking for my- ah! There you are!” Suddenly, the man turned his blinding smile to Hoseok who was now incredibly flustered.

“M-me?”  
“Yes! Yes, you. Jung Hoseok. Wow, you look just like your mom. And like me of course, I see it a bit. Yes, yes, quite dashing. Not as handsome as me but still- oh, right!” With that whirlpool of a sentence, the man snapped his fingers and suddenly, the sun seemed to be immensely bright and…. right above his head?

And that was when Hoseok’s day got just a little bit weirder.

As if it was planned, all the campers lowered themselves to one knee. Even Seokjin, who gave Hoseok a quick, reassuring smile before bowing his head. Chiron’s familiar clop could be heard and then even he, too, was bowing, leaving Hoseok even more flabbergasted, all while the striking blond man just smiled.

“Hail, Jung Hoseok, son of Apollo, god of the sun, master of music and healing, and lord of prophecy.”


	2. flaming hot...literally

He was still in a bit of a daze when the whole “claiming" session, he supposed it was, was over.

Apollo had clapped him on the back and then vanished with a promise to contact him and when the other campers had left to go about the rest of their day, albeit with some whispers and even some greeting him, out of nowhere, Seokjin gave him a hug.

Hoseok was so taken aback that he didn’t even get to hug him back but Seokjin didn’t seem to mind. It was rather surprising, the smile on Seokjin’s face, a smile that so clearly conveyed how happy he was for Hoseok.

It was certainly different -- he had just met Seokjin after all and yet he was already more supportive than basically anyone else in Hoseok's life so far -- but it was also incredibly nice.

“Well, I guess you don't have to go to Cabin Eleven then.” Seokjin commented with a smile. “Still, we'll go get your stuff and transfer them to your real cabin.”

Hoseok nodded and the two set off again, the earlier interruption still fresh in the atmosphere around them.

《 ¤ 》

On the way to and from Cabin Eleven, Hoseok learned about the god who claimed ownership to said cabin, (“Hermes?” “Yup, god of messengers, travelers, and thieves.” Which made sense why they housed all of the parent-less, but one Hoseok found to be quite ironic) how demigods all had ADHD and dyslexia due to their fighting instincts and ability to read ancient Greek (now _that_ was pretty fucking awesome), and that Mr. D was short for Dionysus, god of wine and madness.

_So, that was why he was so scary._

Still, one question stayed at the forefront of his mind. “Jin-hyung, who's your parent? Godly one, I mean.”

“What?!” Seokjin gasped, placing a hand over his heart in feigned indignation. “Can’t you tell by how handsome I am?” He punctuated this with a wink and a flying kiss, which Hoseok thought was pretty dorky, but left him slightly flustered nonetheless.

“Well, I don’t really know the gods and goddesses…?” Why it came out as a question was beyond him but Seokjin just waved his sort-of apology away with a grin.

“I’m kidding. My mother is Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. And my cabin’s over there.” He pointed to a cabin which would have been rather simple, blue and white checkerboard deck and gray walls, if it weren’t for the bright pink door, lace curtains, and pillars.

Inside and around the cabin stood what Hoseok guessed to be Seokjin’s siblings, (or was it half-siblings?) all looking like they had just walked out of some Vogue magazine.

Suddenly, Seokjin’s captivating beauty made so much sense. (Although, just in Hoseok's opinion, Seokjin was the most beautiful out of all of them.) He wondered what else came with being a child of the goddess of beauty, but he imagined it could probably be pretty terrifying at times.

As if reading his mind, Seokjin smiled mischievously and winked at him. Again. “Maybe someday you’ll see all I can do.”

Before Hoseok could even think to reply ( _god, was his mind slow today_ ), Seokjin stopped in front of a really ordinary looking cabin, with exception of a golden sun on the front door. “Here we are!”

Now, Hoseok wasn’t necessarily vain, but the way his dad had made an appearance, he would have thought it to be more….flamboyant?

Just as the thought popped into his head, the sun seemed to brighten, its beams bathing the cabin in light, and suddenly, it looked like it was made of pure gold. Gold that shone so bright it hurt Hoseok’s eyes a bit.

“Damn.” The word brought Hoseok’s focus to Seokjin who was appraising the cabin with an approving nod. “I will never get used to how beautiful that is.”

 _Look, who’s talking_ , came Hoseok’s next thought but he mentally shooed it away, somehow embarrassed, even though Seokjin obviously didn’t hear it.

“Anyway! You’re hungry right? Because I know I am.” Seokjin clasped his hands together eagerly, turning to Hoseok with a gleam in his eye. Not that Hoseok blamed him. He was pretty hungry himself. He nodded.

“Great. So you can go ahead and leave your stuff inside and I’ll take you to the mess hall. Unless...you wanted to rest?”

Hoseok shook his head. Sleep could wait. Besides, even if he was exhausted, the adrenaline coursing through his body from the day’s events would have prevented him from sleeping for quite a while.

“Nah, I’m good for food.”  
“Food it is then!”

《 ¤ 》

They walked, well, more like ran, into the mess hall -- Seokjin had practically dragged him the whole way -- and immediately, everyone turned to stare.

The open area grew silent. Hoseok was uncomfortable. He had always been a pretty loud person but this experience was changing him just a bit and he felt completely awkward.

He hated it.

But the stares didn’t stop. Seokjin clicked his tongue, making Hoseok turn to him, surprised at the annoyed look on his face.

Then, Seokjin spoke up. “You can all go back to eat now.” His voice projected across the rows of tables, firm, commanding, but honey-sweet.

It trapped Hoseok, his rational mind slipping and all he could feel was the fact that he _needed_ to eat, wanting nothing more than to heed the words of the guy next to him.

Almost as if they were all marionette puppets and Seokjin held the strings, the whole cafeteria turned back to their food at once, the odd, new kid forgotten.

And then the spell broke. Hoseok blinked, dazed. He couldn’t quite remember what he had come here to do or what had happened literally just a second ago.

Seokjin, finally seemingly satisfied, nodded his head and then grasped Hoseok’s arm. “Come, time for food.” He made a beeline for a table near the back, which held five other guys.

“They used to sit us by cabin, but eventually, nobody followed that and even Chiron and Mr. D didn’t think it worthwhile to even try and enforce it.” Seokjin plopped Hoseok down and then sat next to him.

Hoseok got a good look at the people around the table.

The boy across from Seokjin had a book in one hand and a utensil in the other, the fringe of his ash brown-blond hair brushed the tops of his round-rimmed glasses, all long legs and lanky arms not quite knowing where to put themselves yet when he smiled in greeting, dimples appeared on either side of his mouth, making his face even more handsome despite his awkward appendages.

Next to him, was a significantly shorter male with pretty, pale silver hair and even prettier, paler skin -- literally he was so white Hoseok worried for his health -- poking at his food, dark eyes drooping sleepily, hardly sparing Hoseok a nod. Now he really was worried, this guy looked like he was about to pass out at any moment.

The boy next to Hoseok looked pretty damn young, black bangs curved inwardly, framing a handsome face. Big, doe eyes focused themselves on Hoseok and the corners of his mouth curved in a smile, revealing a pair of slightly larger front teeth. He was….dare he say, cute, if it weren't for the fact that his plain white shirt was snugly wrapped around biceps that made Hoseok’s own arms feel painfully pitiful.

Across from this guy was the cutest boy Hoseok had ever seen. As in, he looked like he could be five. His blond hair looked like it was just getting over being crimped, and his plump lower lip gave him the appearance of an incessant pout. His cheeks flushed naturally when he smiled, such a soft smile that Hoseok could literally feel a squeal bubbling in his throat. _Gross_.

The first thing that he saw about the last boy was the rectangular smile he had on his handsome face, one that complimented a mischievous twinkle in his eye. He had wavy brown hair, similar in color to Glasses. (So Hoseok wasn’t very creative with nicknames. Sue him.) It was longer in length than the rest, but parted in the middle just like the cute one. His hand was huge when he waved, so vigorously that it honestly just looked like it was flopping back and forth.

The sudden appearance of a plate in front of him with his favorite meal -- kimchi fried rice, smelling exactly like his mother used to make -- made him refocus, jaw slowly dropping. He was about to ask Seokjin what the hell just happened when someone else broke the silence.

“Honestly hyung,” Sleepy Eyes spoke up, also in Korean, voice low and raspy, a drawl to his words that Hoseok couldn’t place. “You need to stop using your charmspeak for stuff like that. That’s just kind of unfair.”

Hoseok was confused. Charmspeak? 

Seokjin just huffed indignantly. “They wouldn’t stop staring and I was _hungry_. I had to do something.”  
“Do you only think with your stomach?” Sleepy Eyes retorted back, sounding exasperated. Or was that just how he normally sounded?

Seokjin stuck out his tongue in reply, surprising Hoseok by the surprising display of childish behavior. This time, Glasses spoke up, his voice deeper than the other, shorter male. “Hyung, don’t irritate him. He hasn’t had food and a hungry Jin-hyung is scary.”

Glasses then turned to Hoseok. “Hi, name’s Namjoon. Kim Namjoon.” He stuck out his hand, and Hoseok shook it.

“Jung Hoseok.”  
“Yeah, I know.” Namjoon flashed another dimpled grin. “Not many demigods’ parents come see them personally for their claiming.”

Hoseok flushed, the memory of his dad’s embarrassing spectacle seared into the back of his eyelids.

The cute one spoke up, with a voice just as high and pretty as him. “It’s okay though! I thought it was cool! I’m Park Jimin, by the way.” Wow, even his name was cute.

“I’m Kim Taehyung!” The deep bellow from the far left surprised Hoseok. He didn’t know what he was expecting from the boy with the rectangle smile but it certainly was not that.

“Jesus, Tae. Why are you so loud?” ("HEY! That's Tae- _hyung_ to you!") The guy next to Hoseok, the one who suspiciously looked like a bunny, winced, rubbing his left ear, before turning to Hoseok. “I’m Jeon Jeongguk. Nice to meet you, hyung.”

“How do you know I’m older than you?” Hoseok couldn’t really believe this kid was younger than him. His muscles were too….not baby-ish. Jeongguk shrugged. “You probably are. I’m fourteen so…”

Oh. He _was_ younger.

The whole table then turned to Sleepy Eyes, who had stayed quiet this whole time, still picking at his food. He paused and glanced up. At the other five’s expectant gazes, he let out a sigh and then fixed a gaze on Hoseok.

“Min Yoongi. Nice to meet you.”  
“Uh...yeah. Likewise.” With a barely imperceptible nod of his head, Yoongi looked back down into his food, returning to his earlier quest of mutilating every piece.

“So now you have met all the idiots, fantastic!” Seokjin’s cheery voice broke through the immediate protests stirred up by his insult. All of which he ignored. “Come on, Hoseok-ah.” Seokjin started getting up, much to Hoseok’s confusion.

“We have to make the sacrifice! Take your plate. Hurry, I want to eat.” Still utterly lost but not about to question Seokjin’s knowledge, Hoseok got up as well, grabbing his plate.

He followed Seokjin's long strides to a fire burning steadily off to the side. Seokjin cut a portion of his plate, a bit of everything, before dropping it into the fire, stepping back a little when it flared up for a second. At Hoseok’s baffled stare, he explained, “Every meal, we sacrifice a portion of our meal to the gods. It’s a sign of respect.”

As odd as that was, Hoseok didn’t really feel like getting on the gods’ bad graces so he only nodded and did the same with his food. Or, he tried to, anyway.

The food made it into the fire, alright. But when the fire surged up, the tendrils danced around each other for a split second, spiraling and spinning. Straight onto Hoseok. He froze, the flames licking up his arm at an alarming pace. Time seemed to slow, he could feel the fire gradually increasing in temperature, but all he could think of was, _well, shit_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so that was only fast because i already wrote it. and i apologize for my terrible tries at being funny. it'll only get worse. 
> 
> Any questions, comments, concerns? Leave below!
> 
> oh and...
> 
> HAPPY TAETAE DAY!


	3. a hero's? quest

Suddenly a splash snapped time back into motion. Cold seeped into Hoseok's right arm, soaking the light blue sleeve of his button down. Surprisingly, his food was still in his left hand.

He must have literally been frozen. It didn’t even so much as move.

“Hoseok! You’re okay?” He was aware of the whole cafeteria’s eyes on him but Seokjin was in front of his face, grabbing at him and checking his arm for burns, wrenching Hoseok’s attention to him.

“Huh? Uh, yeah. I’m alright." Hoseok didn’t know what in the actual fuck just happened but he eyed the fire suspiciously. Why did he feel like his dad had a hand in this little prank?

After another thorough scan of his arm, (there really wasn’t much to see, it was such a tiny fire that Hoseok _swears_ someone up there was messing with him) Seokjin finally relaxed and grabbed Hoseok’s arm to make their way back to the table.

Hoseok rolled his sleeve back down from where Seokjin had -- _wait, what?_ He glanced down at his intact shirt sleeve, still soaking wet. Now _that_ was weird. It was understandable if it didn’t burn him, but his shirt should definitely have been at least singed.

Hoseok felt like the oddity of it all would cause his head to explode. Thankfully, Seokjin pulled him out of his inner combustion.

“Hoseok-ah?”  
“Oh- oh hi, Jin-hyung.”

Seokjin eyed him. “You okay?”  
“Uh...yeah. Today’s just a little...overwhelming.”

At that Seokjin nodded understandingly, patting Hoseok’s arm consolingly. “That’s alright. You’ll get used to it. Why, I remember when I first came here-"  
“Not this story again, goddammit.” This came from Yoongi, (when had they gotten back to the table?) effectively shutting up Seokjin, earning a snicker from Jeongguk and Taehyung.

Seokjin glared at the silver-haired boy before plopping down with another huff. “Honestly Min Yoongi, I don’t understand why you insist on being insufferable.”  
“Took the words right out of my fucking mouth.”  
“Oookay! Stop!” Jimin held out his hands, palm flat in the universal “stop" motion. “Can’t we please have a somewhat peaceful dinner? Is that too much to ask?”

Namjoon sighed and nodded. “I agree with Jimin. _Please_ shut up.” There was silence at the table for a bit. At least until Taehyung launched god-knows- _what_ from his spoon, which landed into Seokjin’s hair.

This earned Taehyung an utterly unattractive squawk and a wadded up ball of rice straight into his face. Jeongguk cackled, leaning back as a food fight started, discreetly throwing pieces of vegetables at both of them, only adding to the fray. Which was probably what he was going for.

Hoseok took his hint and leaned back as well, watching in a sort of horror as Jimin tried to stop them, only getting bits of food tangled in his own hair and Namjoon only sighed, taking his plate and his book and turning around, out of shooting range. Suddenly, Hoseok didn’t know how, everything was happening so fast, a misplaced pile of mashed potatoes? landed straight in the middle of Yoongi’s forehead.

The table stilled. Seokjin and Taehyung froze, mid-shot. Jeongguk’s cackles died in his throat and Jimin looked on in horror. Namjoon quietly turned around, eyes widening almost imperceptibly at the mashed potatoes dripping off of Yoongi.

Hoseok turned to the boy in question and even though he had done nothing wrong, gulped. The normally sleepy eyes turned hard, twitching in annoyance. Yoongi merely held up his hands and snapped his fingers. “Sleep.”

Immediately, Seokjin and Taehyung both knocked out, faces falling into their plates. A gasp escaped Jimin and Jeongguk paled. Namjoon sighed again, rubbing his temples, sounding like he had aged a hundred years. “Ah, now you’ve gone and done it.”

In his shock, Hoseok didn’t even have a chance to point out that Seokjin and Taehyung couldn't hear Namjoon. “Um…” Yoongi turned to him and he flinched. “Are- are they okay?”

Yoongi shrugged. “Yeah. I can’t hold it very long, I’m not that powerful. They just needed to stop.” Was it just Hoseok’s imagination or was that a ghost of a smile on his lips?

At that moment, Seokjin and Taehyung jolted upright, food clinging to both of their faces. “What the f-"  
“What happened?!”

Nobody replied, now all staring at their food, with the exception of Yoongi who was now eating calmly and sparing a glance at the two with lazy eyes. Seokjin narrowed his eyes at Yoongi, scraping off the sauce from his cheek.

“You.”  
A shrug. “Maybe if you weren’t such a moron, I wouldn't have done that.”  
“Why, you piece of-"  
“Alright.” Namjoon slammed his book down on the table, effectively losing the page he had been holding. “Both of you, shut the fuck up.”

Everyone turned to Namjoon with varying levels of surprise. Hoseok imagined it would have stayed quiet, had it been any group other than these guys. As it was, Taehyung burst out with, “Ooooooh, Namjoonie-hyung cursed!”

Namjoon turned a piercing glare on the boy, making him yelp in fear. Hoseok didn’t know why he hadn’t realized it before but Namjoon’s eyes were...gray. That wasn’t very characteristic of a Korean. Namjoon let out another sigh and removed his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes for a second.

When he opened them, the setting sun reflected in his pupils, turning them a soft silver. It was mesmerizing.

That got Hoseok wondering. He had no idea whose kids these guys were. He was just wondering if he should ask when Chiron trotted over to their table.

All of them got up and immediately bowed upon his approach, one he waved off with a soft smile. He then turned to Hoseok, smile wilting just a bit. “Hoseok, I need to talk to you.”

He would have felt scared but it was almost impossible to feel scared with the aura Chiron gave off. Still, he did wonder why he suddenly looked so...sad. “Yeah, sure.” He got off his chair and followed Chiron, chancing a glance back at the other boys who were watching him.

He didn’t quite like the worried look on Seokjin’s face.

Chiron took him outside the mess hall, hidden a bit off to the side, looking so somber at this point that Hoseok began to feel anxious.

“Now, I know you just arrived here and I’m hesitant to even say this because of that fact, but even I can’t deny a direct request from the god of prophecy himself.”

It took Hoseok just a bit to make the connection. “My...dad?”

Chiron nodded solemnly. “But I’d still like to let you know that you don’t have to go. You don’t have to do this. I’m not quite sure what his reasoning is, but even he can’t force you to do anything, especially something so da-"

His statement is cut short by a girl walking towards them. Hoseok hadn’t seen her before. Her hair was flaming red -- nothing unlike his dyed, dark tomato sort of red -- and her eyes were as green as the perfect fields of Camp Half-Blood.

He was so fixated on her that he hardly even noticed when the rest of the guys, probably too restless to sit still, came up behind him.

She looked normal enough. Until her eyes started to glow green and a similar colored mist flowed from her mouth, and she started to speak, her voice taking on a deep tone, as if centuries old, echo reverberating through the empty hills.

Somewhere, deep in the back of his mind, he vaguely wondered for a second how everyone was in their cabins right now. It was eerie to see the fields void of anyone but the seven of them, Chiron and this girl.

That thought was pushed aside by the words coming from the girl’s mouth.

_A journey usually taken by three_

_Seven half-bloods shall answer the plea._

_The quest of a son to save his father_

_In his footsteps he cannot falter._

_Follow the star to the god who is lost_

_The way to complete will come at a cost._

_The god of anger you must avoid_

_Lest your very life be destroyed._

_Sacrifice is the ultimate payment_

_Sorrow will be the hero’s raiment._

_Seek help from the stars that guide your way_

_Prevent the world from turning gray._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heh. so it turned out not being as light-hearted as i originally thought.
> 
> i just hope i can write it well, this is quite new for me.
> 
> anyway, once again, questions, comments, and concerns? leave below~


	4. does a quest mean actually having to move?

After the girl was carted off on a stretcher, having collapsed after the glow left her eyes, Hoseok stood there with the other six boys, a sense of dread sinking into his very bones.

Chiron had left with the girl, clapping Hoseok on the shoulder and leaving him with, “Just think about it. You don’t have to do this.”

How could he not? If the prophecy was right, someone was in trouble and it was probably his dad. What he was kind of hesitant about, however, was “Who are the seven?” Jeongguk cut into his thoughts and everyone turned to him.

“Well, I mean, obviously I think Hoseok-hyung is one of them. But who are the six- oh.” The youngest boy fell silent, realization sinking in like the heavy metal of an anchor at the bottom of the ocean.

So it was what Hoseok was afraid of. Immediately, he shook his head. “No. You guys won’t come.” The others looked at him in surprise, but Hoseok only shook his head again. He couldn’t ask people who were practically strangers to risk their lives for a quest that wasn’t even their problem.

“But the prophecy-"  
“I don’t care.” The looks of surprise widened into looks of shock. But while Hoseok never had many friends, he didn’t like the fact that he had to ask these people -- people with their own lives and hopes and dreams -- to go on a goddamn suicide mission. “This isn’t your guys’ problem. I can handle this on my own.”

Still, a part of him wanted to kick himself in the teeth while he said that. What the fuck did he mean he could do this on his own? He could hardly tell left from right in this new world he had been thrust into, a world of gods and monsters and your life being threatened at every turn.

Maybe he should have just stayed home. Just curled up in a ball in his bed and not dealt with all of this. He had had a pretty good life. And even if he hadn’t, at least it was _normal_.

He breathed a sigh, feeling as if his whole world was deflating. He said his next words reluctantly. “I’m going to do this. But you guys can’t come with.”

With that, Hoseok walked away, a tiny part of him wondering if he could just forget it. Just not go on the quest at all. I mean, his dad was a _god_. How the hell would someone who wasn’t even half of that be able to save a god from...well, another god.

But even as he thought that, he knew it was futile. He knew he would end up going. That was Hoseok’s problem. It always had been. He always tried to help. It was why people didn’t like him very much. A lot of them saw it as borderline nosy.

He hadn’t gotten very far when he heard his name being called out. He tried to ignore it, he really did. But then his name was being yelled directly into his ear and he couldn't ignore it any longer.

Clutching his ringing ear, he turned to Seokjin, the stress of the day conveying in a scowl on his face. It was odd, Hoseok hardly ever scowled. But he was just so tired. And god did he really not want to do this.

Seokjin met his eyes with a soft smile, pretty almond eyes just as soft. “We’re coming with you.” Hoseok swore the sneaky bastard put a bit of -- what had Yoongi called it? Charmspeak? He didn't even know how it worked but somehow he knew Seokjin was using it -- into his words because he could feel his resistance slipping away.

He tried to steel himself but once he glanced around the group, he found he couldn’t hold that resistance up. They were all smiling at him, despite the imminent danger they were all in, and for once in his life, Hoseok didn’t feel so alone.

His fear was slipping away, but it was also being replaced with a new fear. A fear that he might very well lose these people. However, in the midst of this fear, he felt a certain sense of tranquility. Hope, almost.

They would be alright. He’d make sure of that. These people that had willingly offered to go with him on what was probably the most dangerous event of their young lives, he was going to protect. How, he had no idea.

He just knew that he would.

《 ¤ 》

Or…. so he thought. He was in the middle of sparring with Jimin, they had decided that they all needed to hone their fighting skills if they were to do this. Especially Hoseok.

Now, he knew demigods had innate fighting skills. But Hoseok seemed absolutely terrible at this. And for some goddamn reason, he couldn’t find a sword that worked with him. “Time!” Hoseok flopped onto the hard floor, sweat making his shirt stick to him.

To his credit, Jimin seemed to be breathing just as hard, but he looked much less exhausted than Hoseok probably did. Still, Hoseok felt bad for him. Poor guy probably was tired from having to teach him.

Jimin only smiled, handing him a water bottle. “It’s alright, hyung. You’ll get it.”  
“Will I though?” Hoseok groaned, accepting the cold water bottle and placing it on his sweating forehead, the perfectly controlled weather of Camp Half-Blood feeling a bit too hot.

“I’m sure of it!” Jimin’s signature pretty smile broke out on his face. “Maybe we just need to find something that’ll make it easier for you to learn it.”

Hoseok stared up at the younger, his joints protesting his vigorous activity. God, he felt old. It seemed this new world had also changed Hoseok.

The Hoseok that before, was almost blindly optimistic and cheery, now felt incredibly tired and dare he say, even jaded. He said so too, in another groan and a “I feel like Yoongi-hyung.”

Jimin laughed -- something Hoseok grew to realize was, surprise surprise, just as cute as the rest of him. In the few weeks that had passed from the time of the prophecy, the seven of them had gotten closer, spending more time with each other in preparation.

Jimin, Hoseok found out, was just as pure as his first impression had told him.

But he guessed that came with being a son of Demeter, goddess of agriculture and fertility, the harvest and the changing of the seasons, something Jimin shyly told him when the boy had brushed his hand past a wilted flower and it immediately came to life, just as vibrant as it once had been.

That also explained why he was significantly more optimistic than Hoseok right now.

Jimin sat down besides Hoseok, hand absentmindedly sweeping over some weeds growing in a crack, Hoseok watching in wonder as tiny flowers grew on the weed.

“What do you like to do, hyung?” The question took him aback for a bit.  
“I like dancing.”  
“Really?” Jimin turned to him then, eyes twinkling.  
“Yeah. Hip hop dancing mostly.”

Jimin clasped his hands together, joy breaking through on his face. “That’s so cool! I trained in modern dancing, at least before I came here, but I’ve always wanted to learn hip hop.”

Despite his frustration, Hoseok smiled, the familiar rush of adrenaline at talking about what he loved to do most coming back to him. “Maybe I could teach you sometime?”

Jimin’s smile widened. “Yes, please!” Suddenly, he gasped. “That’s it!”

Hoseok looked at him, startled. “What’s it?”  
“Maybe we could train you to fight by using dancing!”

Hoseok pondered it for a second. That didn’t sound like too bad of an idea. Parts of dancing were very similar to fighting so maybe that could work.

With renewed vigor, starting to feel more like his old self, Hoseok got back up, extending a hand to Jimin. “Let’s try this out.”

《 ¤ 》

Another few weeks of vigorous training met the boys. Hoseok literally had whole days where all he did was wake up, train, eat, train again, sleep, and then repeat.

During this time, Hoseok also realized that he had an innate talent for archery. This he realized when Jeongguk had offered to teach him archery and while Jeongguk was incredibly good at it -- just like everything else the boy did, _damn him_ \-- Hoseok picked it up much quicker, hitting the bull’s eye nearly every time.

Which, he guessed he should have seen coming, what with who his dad was.

After about a month of training, Chiron finally deemed them ready to go. He gave them a few things they would need, mostly a supply of nectar and ambrosia because he was all too familiar with what happened on these quests and those would definitely be things they would need.

They planned to leave pretty early in the morning, at 6 am, something Yoongi highly protested (“You’re already making me actually _do_ things, now you want me to wake up at _what_ time?") followed by Jimin _tsk_ ing sympathetically and patting the older’s shoulder with a small, soft smile -- one that left Hoseok wondering about the relationship between the two.

He laid awake in his bunk that night, listening to the soft snores of his half-siblings, mind going a mile a minute.

Now that he wasn't occupied by training, Hoseok was left alone to his own thoughts and they were mostly... fear. He’s not brave, why did he think he could do this?

His whole life he’s always been afraid. Not just the irrational fears, like spiders, snakes, heights, etc etc., but of the deeper ones, the ones that cloud his mind after a particularly lonely day.

He was afraid when he first moved to his new school, worried what people would think. He was afraid when his mom died, taken by a mental illness more terrifying than any physical pain, wondering how he could make it on his own. He was afraid when he got to Camp Half-Blood, even when he found out he was half-god.

He wasn’t good enough for this.

Hoseok liked to think he was a fairly cheerful person, (with the exception of recently but he was still getting accustomed to things anyway) but even _he_ had dark thoughts.

Even he had times of anxiety, times where fear took over him and paralyzed him and while it was absolutely terrifying when he was all alone, it seemed to be even more terrifying now.

Now that he had people with him, people who he had to protect because this was _his_ fight.

Hoseok was terrified. He wasn’t a demigod, or whatever, hell, sometimes he felt barely human, and he _definitely_ was not a leader. Namjoon, on the other hand, was. But Hoseok? No, not Hoseok.

Mentally slapping himself out of his thoughts, Hoseok shook his head. He had to do this, no matter how utterly unprepared he felt. It wasn’t just him anymore. His dad depended on him.

But mostly, now, others depended on him. Others that he desperately wanted to call friends and he knew they were going to help each other out but he was still responsible for dragging them into this.

“Fighting!” Hoseok whispered to himself, the word sounding a bit deflated to his own ears.

But if there was anything Hoseok was good at, it was turning something negative into something positive.

He could do this. He wouldn’t let his dad down. And most importantly, he wouldn’t let his… friends down.


	5. damn, sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so it's been a while since I read the Percy Jackson series so while i am doing my best to make it as accurate as possible - in accordance with Rick Riordan's works - some things may not be exactly accurate and I apologize in advance.
> 
> and some things are completely of my own creation so if they aren't exactly in line with Greek mythology, that's why.

They left before the sun had even risen, when the world was still cloaked in darkness, having to drag Yoongi who was still half-asleep on his feet.

They crossed the boundary of Camp Half-Blood, Hoseok jittery with nervousness, leaving their safe haven to enter the world outside -- a world deemed almost completely unlivable for kids like them.

Chiron had given them some money, as well as a bag of golden and silver coins he called _drachma_. Supposedly for non-modern ways of payment that they might need.

The first few moments were quiet between the seven, each stuck in their own thoughts. Namjoon, being a son of the goddess Athena -- goddess of wisdom and battle strategy, go figure -- had taken it upon himself to plan, somewhat, their course of action.

Yoongi was still struggling to wake and stay awake, Jimin helping him with a careful hand on the small of his back, occasionally whispering something into his ear.

Seokjin and Jeongguk were talking quietly, the youngest boy feigning a look of bravery, one that was immediately betrayed by the wrinkle of worry that creased his forehead.

Hoseok walked by himself for a bit until Taehyung caught up with him, matching him stride for stride, never saying anything but offering him a reassuring boxy smile. It helped, a bit.

Hoseok’s nerves were so out of whack he didn’t know if he could even go through with this, despite the mini pep talk he gave himself the night before.

The fear first and foremost in his mind was the people with him. He had only just met them and yet, these people were easily growing to be frankly the only people Hoseok had cared for. And with no doubt, the time they spent together on this quest would only further deepen that.

Which scared him. He couldn’t imagine losing any one of them. Granted, they were all a lot stronger than him but still, he couldn’t help the incessant throb of fear that radiated throughout his entire being.

Not for the first time, he shook himself out of it. He needed as clear of a mind as he could get, especially for something as dangerous as a quest.

He ran the lines of the prophecy over in his head. It wasn’t _too_ difficult to understand. Or was it? He didn’t know. Chiron did tell him that prophecies tended to have double meanings which meant that if that was true, that left them essentially direction-less.

His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of… singing? To his left, Taehyung and Seokjin had started singing, a ballad of sorts, the surprising baritone of Taehyung’s voice and the high-pitched, rather nasally -- but in a good way -- tenor of Seokjin blended together in a way that made Hoseok feel as if everything really would be okay.

Jeongguk and Jimin joined in then, the latter in a higher pitch than the former and soon, the air was ringing with harmony. It seemed to Hoseok as if the sun itself was being drawn by the beautiful harmony.

Was it?

Hoseok had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. It had been, what, about an hour before they had left and surely, the sun should have risen by now.

Suddenly, a line from the prophecy came floating back to his memory. _The quest of a son to save his father_...

 _If Apollo was missing… who would pull up the sun?_ He didn’t realize he had said this aloud until Taehyung gasped, halting the singing. “Hoseok-hyung’s right! If Apollo’s the god of the sun, and he’s supposedly lost, will the sun come up? How does it even work?”

Now _that_ was a good question. Namjoon spoke up, after a few moments of the group pondering it. “I heard that the chariot that he showed up in, you know when he claimed Hoseok, is the chariot that he pulls the sun in.”

“Wait, so, what you’re saying _is_ , the sun may not even come up?” Jeongguk halted in place, scratching his head with a look of utter confusion. “But… how are we supposed to complete this quest if it’ll always be-" The sound of grunting could be heard all of a sudden, cutting through the stillness, sounding like it was coming from quite a few people.

“dark…” The boys ran (or in Yoongi’s case, dragged his feet) towards the sound, but stopped in their tracks upon surveying the situation.

In front of them were a dozen or so girls (women?) -- all dressed in the same white shirts, (“Hey Jeonggukie, they’re your type!” “Shut up.”) silver jackets, silvery camo pants and black combat boots -- struggling to pull a chariot, looming twice the size above all of them. Upon further inspection, by the light of the moon, the seven realized that it was the same chariot they had seen just a few weeks ago. “Apollo’s chariot!” Taehyung exclaimed, albeit rather redundantly.

Immediately, the women stopped what they were doing and faster than the boys could even blink, had bows, silver in color yet it didn’t look like any sort of metal, trained on them.

And was it just Hoseok’s imagination or did they… glow? It seemed as if there was a faint silver pulse around the group of girls.

Thinking it not a good idea to draw any weapons, as they didn’t even want trouble in the first place, the seven just did what they felt was best -- they raised their arms slowly in the universal gesture of surrender.

After a brief standstill, at which Hoseok tried a hand at one of his friendliest smiles, one of them stepped forward.

She didn’t look too much different from the rest, but there was something… odd about her. She radiated power, unlike the other girls with her, despite the fact that she had a very childlike face, and Hoseok had that faint, lingering feeling of deja vu, as if he knew this person.

“Who are you?” Her voice was regal-sounding, sounding _much_ older than he would have guessed her to be at first glance. The group behind her still hadn't dropped their weapons and were eyeing the boys with what was almost blatant disgust on their faces.

“Uh… they don’t look like they like us too much.” Taehyung whispered softly earning him a hissed, “Shut. Up.” from Namjoon.

“I will not ask you again.” The girl -- woman, Hoseok was really confused -- spoke up again and Hoseok realized he had to say something. It really was in his best interest not to be skewered alive, and these girls looked like they would not hesitate to do so.

“U-um, my name is Jung Hoseok,” he wondered briefly to himself if he should mention his dad’s name, “son of… Apollo?” It was odd to say it, as if saying it really made it official that he was half-god.

The weapons _still_ weren’t lowered, but the woman in front cocked her head, her stern expression slipping off of her face, just a smidge.

“You are my brother’s child.” _Uh, brother?_

“Brother? Oh- oh, _shit_.” Namjoon’s muttered curse did not go unheard and immediately all eyes snapped to him. The boy let out what sounded suspiciously like a squeak of fear before clearing his throat. 

“Well, if she says she’s Apollo’s sister, that means that she’s, um, Art- Lady Artemis.” The honorific was unexpected but the woman nodded once, as if she was sort of pleased.

“And these must be the Hunters.” Namjoon continued, punctuating this with a bow, one that the other six hastily followed. Artemis held her hand up and finally, there were no weapons pointed at them. Still, the stances hadn’t changed leading Hoseok to believe that these people still did not trust them quite yet.

“You are correct. I am Artemis, goddess of the moon, the wilderness, the hunt, and chastity-" (“Charity?” “ _Chastity_ , Taehyung.”) “twin sister to Apollo. Now, why would you be out here at this time? If you truly are demigods, surely you must know it is dangerous for such as you.”

“Well, Lady Artemis, what can you expect from _boys_?” The word was spit out with such disgust Hoseok felt ashamed about his gender for a bit.

Jeongguk bristled at that, his quick temper getting the best of him and he stepped forward with a “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” or what probably would have been that if Namjoon hadn’t yanked him back just as fast.

The protest was on the boy’s tongue but the look his hyung gave him was enough to make him shut up, however grudgingly.

Artemis seemed to have a bit more sympathy, however. “You must forgive my Hunters. They are untrusting of men. It is part of the vow they take to become Hunters.”

Hoseok was curious. “Vow?”  
“Yes. My Hunters must swear off of men for the rest of their lives.”  
“So… they’re eternal… virgins?” This came from Yoongi, the first thing he had said out loud since they started their journey, his voice less sleepy and taking on a more perplexed tone.  
“That is correct.”

Silence settled in awkwardly after that, the seven boys not really knowing what to say. Until Hoseok realized that he never answered Artemis’ question. The goddess seemed to realize it herself as well because she then said, “I am still wondering as to why you all are out here.”

“Well, we got a prophecy that my da- Apollo, was lost, or something, so we’re supposed to, uh, find him.”

At that, Artemis sighed, sounding exasperated. “Of course, my idiot of a brother got himself lost.”

Hoseok didn’t know what to say to that. I mean, that _was_ his dad she had just called an idiot. But at the same time… she probably wasn’t wrong.

“So that is how you ended up running into us, am I correct?”  
“Yes. Ma’am.” Which was incredibly weird to call a woman who looked like she could be Jeongguk’s younger sister but then again, she also _was_ a goddess.

The goddess in question nodded thoughtfully. “That must be why my brother’s chariot is here. I merely came to the conclusion that he had been careless again.”

 _God_ , Hoseok was beginning to realize more that his dad sounded just like a child. He wondered, briefly, his mind wandering again, which twin was older before Artemis snapped her gaze to him again, pale silver eyes blazing in their intensity. Hoseok could practically _feel_ the crash of the tidal waves, being pulled by the sheer strength of the moon in her eyes.

“Maybe you can do it then.” She concluded, after a few seconds of staring at him. Hoseok didn’t understand at first, though Artemis’ Hunters seemed to, immediately breaking out into protest. Hoseok caught things along the line of “men being incapable” or “men taking over the things women could do just fine".

Once again, Artemis merely silenced them with a hand. “I understand. But knowing my brother, he has probably put certain… modifications to make sure I cannot move his chariot. But maybe,” here, she gestured to Hoseok. “his son might. Especially if he needs help.”

She turned again to Hoseok, who by now had understood what she had been saying. Which was absolutely absurd. “So- so you want me to… drive? The chariot?”

The look she gave him made her answer completely obvious but Hoseok didn’t even know how to drive a _car_ yet, much less a _chariot_. Plus it wasn’t just any chariot. It was supposed to carry the _sun_. What if he messed up? _Oh god the world would be without daylight_.

“I- I don’t think I can do this,” Hoseok shook his head, taking a step back. “I mean, the sun? Just- no, no, I’m- I’m sorry, is there anything else I can do to help?”  
“As much as I am quite relieved that you are not nearly as reckless as my brother, if you are the only one who can move it, I will need you to. The sun still needs to come up after all.”

Hoseok went silent. She was right. But still… “I’ll go with you, hyung.” Hoseok turned in surprise to his left where Taehyung was smiling at him.

“Is that okay?” Hoseok didn’t know who he was asking the question to, Taehyung or Artemis, but nonetheless both nodded, the latter pausing first. “I believe it should be.”

“Okay.” _Okay. He could do this._ And anyway, how hard could it be?

《 ¤ 》

It was extremely difficult.

Under normal circumstances, Hoseok would probably have been ecstatic at getting to drive the flipping _sun_ across the sky. Or the hypothetical idea, anyway, since, under _normal_ circumstances, he wouldn’t have even dreamed of it being possible.

But this wasn’t normal circumstances. He was the son of the sun god and the world was depending on him so they could have their daylight. 

While he and Taehyung got on the chariot and were figuring out how it worked -- Artemis had told him it could also transform into a bus but Hoseok decided a chariot might be easier -- there was a moment where he briefly wondered what had become of all of his science classes.

When Artemis deemed it okay, having checked it over herself, Hoseok slipped his hands through the loops, his hands trembling. A second after, he felt arms snaking around his waist.

Turning around, he found Taehyung clasping onto him, boxy smile in place, making Hoseok feel a sudden warmth in his chest. “So I won’t fall.” _Right, it wouldn’t be good to fall. Since they were going up_ … “Wait, shit, _up_?!”

The exclamation had just barely left his lips when the chariot suddenly took off. A scream ripped from his throat, because for some reason he had completely forgotten the fact that he absolutely _hated_ heights.

Hoseok felt lightheaded. He was doing his utmost best to not look at the ground as the chariot continued on its steep ascent. Even as Hoseok was desperately trying not to panic, Taehyung seemed to be loving every minute.

The delighted whoop coming from the boy behind him made Hoseok wonder just how someone could be this excited about something so absolutely terrifying. He _really really_ wanted to close his eyes but decided against it, since he was the one driving.

The chariot itself seemed to have a set course as he didn’t really have to steer too much, just enough so they didn’t topple onto their side. He tried to focus on how pretty the sunrise looked, rising gradually out of its slumber, being beckoned forward by the chariot.

It would have been beautiful, if he could get over the fact that he was so goddamn terrified.

The chariot had almost completed its trip, the sun now steadily rising, chasing away the dark, when everything started to go wrong. 

Without warning, the amber glow that the chariot gave off disappeared. “Oh, _fuck_.” Immediately after, the chariot began to descend. And fast. They were on a one-way trip straight to the Underworld.

At this point, Hoseok was so terrified he couldn’t even scream, could only watch, frozen in abject horror at the ground rushing up to meet them at an alarming rate. Honestly _why_ did he freeze up every goddamn time he was in danger?

However, through his frozen state of mind, he dimly registered one of the hands around his waist letting go while one still stayed firmly around him.

The chariot then jolted upright, simultaneously jolting Hoseok out of his temporary paralysis, in time to see the deep purple aura that encased the chariot as it gently lowered itself to the ground. Upon touching down, Hoseok still stood frozen, letting out the breath he didn’t realize he had been holding due to his fear.

Before he could ask Taehyung what had happened, assuming the other boy had been in a much better state of mind than he was, the sound of multiple footsteps running toward them made him stop.

He saw the rest of the guys dashing through the trees, nearly skidding to a halt in front of the chariot. Seokjin immediately grabbed both Hoseok’s and Taehyung's hands, fussing over them for any injuries they may have gotten.

Through pants, Namjoon asked, “Are you guys okay?” Taehyung answered for the both of them. “Yeah, I think we’re good. Although,” he glanced at Hoseok. “I think Hoseok-hyung might not be. Mentally, anyway.”

Hoseok chose to ignore the grin in his voice. “ _Excuse me_ for acting how a _normal_ person would act when they’re falling out of the fucking sky.” Despite his brush with death, he was feeling more like himself again, hence why there was no bite to his words, something Taehyung picked up on, given the fact that his shit-eating grin only got wider.

Trying to ignore his moments of unmanliness, Hoseok brought up the question that had been on his mind. “What happened? I was sure we were going to fall.”

Taehyung then held up his hand with a shy smile, no longer teasing. “Guess it comes with being a son of Hecate?”  
“Hecate?”  
“Goddess of magic. Amongst other things.”  
“It’s why he’s so fucking weird.” Jeongguk stated, eliciting a chuckle from the whole group and a punch to the arm from Taehyung.

Just then, a multitude of footsteps could be heard in the direction where the other guys had come from. The Hunters, with Artemis in the lead, burst out of the small opening.

Oh, _right_. They were still here.

“Thank you, what was your name again?”  
“Jung. I mean, Jung Hoseok.”  
“Well, thank you, Jung Hoseok. I am glad to see that my brother’s kids don’t all inherit his streak of idiocy.”  
“Uh, thanks.” Suddenly, a line of the prophecy floated to the forefront of his thoughts.

“Um, Lady Artemis? In the prophecy, it says to ‘ _follow the star to the god who is lost_ ’, do you know what that could mean?”

The goddess in question just shook her head, her lips upturning in a faint resemblance of a smile. “I cannot help you there, even if I would be willing to. There is an ancient law that states that gods and goddesses are not allowed to provide aid to those on a quest.”

“However,” she continued, taking note of the slight downcast of Hoseok’s face. “I imagine if you were to find a belt in the sky, that could quite possibly be an answer.”

Hoseok caught the twinkle in the goddess’s eye as she said this but before he could even thank her, she turned around and left, the Hunters following suit.

They had hardly gone through the canopy of trees when Hoseok couldn’t see them anymore. As if they had literally just disappeared. He turned to the rest of the guys who looked just about as confused as he felt.

“Well, let’s keep on, keepin’ on!” Taehyung broke the silence. “We got a god to save.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao i'm so PUNNY.
> 
> sorry.
> 
> please dont stop reading.


End file.
